Building unit and supporting means therefor



Oct. 14, 1930. J. A. FERGUSON BUILDING UNIT AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Filed 001:. 2, 1928 mamaa 40 and highly satisfactory manner.

Patented Oct. 14, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN A. FERGUSON, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO THOMAS B. STUBGES, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA BUILDING UNIT AND SUPPORTING MEANS THEREFOR Application filed October 2, 1928. Serial No. 309,805.

My invention relates to pre-cast building units, preferably made of cement, sand and aggregates, employed in the construction of ceilings and walls of a building, and particuf larly to means employed in conjunction therewith for attaching said units in place upon floor joists, beams, studding, or other suitable metallic members of structural frameworks. The present invention contemplates the employment of pre-cast fireproofing units, as aforesaid, into which are moulded metallic supporting or attaching elements, designed to be used inconnection with pins, keys, or looking elements for rigidly securing the said 7 units to the structural framework; the construction being of such a character that when the locking keys or elements are inserted in place, the units will be drawn tight against and supported upon the said structural members. The pre-cast units constructed in accordancewith my invention are suitably reinforced throughout their length and breadth, according to accepted engineering principles as of design and construction, so as to resist all forces to which they may be subjected.

I am aware that, prior to my invention, supporting or unit attaching meanshave been employed inconjunction with pre-cast slabs,

etc., for securing the pre-cast units to structural members of a building, but said means have always been a source ofconsiderable trouble. i

The prime object ofthe present invention is'to provide simple and eflicientunit supporting and /or attaching means of such character as to provide rigid and properly positioned means for attaching the units to the flanged portions of beams, etc., in a simple It is a further object of the present invention to provide the units with means whereby they may be attachedto any type of structural members and in various positions, that is to say, vertical, horizontal, or inclined positions, and in such a manner as to ensure rigidity and resist all forces to which the said slabs or units may be subjected to in use.

In the accompanying drawings, which illustrates applications of my invention:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a ceiling construction embodying my invention;

Fig. 2, a detail sectional view showing a portion of the ceiling construction, the section being taken on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3, a detail perspective View showing a form of metallic supporting element designed to be partially embedded in the slab or building unit;

Fig. 4, a part plan and a part sectional view of a ceiling construction showing a modified form of attaching means;

Fig. 5, a part elevational and a part sectional view, the section being taken on line VV of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 6, a perspective view showing a modified form of metallic supporting element embodying my invention.

Referring to the drawings and as preferred, 5 designates a slab or unit formed of cement, sand and aggregates, and having embodied therein and extending longitudinally thereof, a plurality of metallic reinforcing members in the form of rods 6. In the form of my invention'shown by Fig. 2, I employ in conjunction with two of the reinforcing rods 6 of each unit, a unit supporting and/or attaching element designated generally by 7. This unit is particularly shown by the perspective view, Fig. 3, and, as shown, it comprises a body portion at having a locking element receiving opening 6, two shelves 0 projecting from the body at substantially right angles thereto, and a depending a-pertured portion cl having its opening 6 disposed in a plane below the plane of the shelves 0. This supporting element 7 is formed of metal and is of such thickness as to provide a structure possessing sufficient rigidity to enable locking elements to be employed in connection therewith and be passed therethrough without bending, but,'at the same time, it is sufficiently flexible to permit expansion and contraction of the units when they are attached to the beams, etc. of the framework.

These elements 7 are molded in the pre-cast unit, and are designed to-be connected with the rods 6, as particularly shown by Fig. 2. The openingse are of just sufficient diameter to receive the rods 6. It will be noted that a portion of each element 7 is embedded in the unit and a portion projects upwardly therefrom. The shelves 0 are so positioned that they will come into contact with the under face of the "flange of the structural member, as illustrated, a beam 8, thus providing a nietal-to-metal contact, .which is, very desirable at the "points shown, as they provide efiicient bearings for the units.

My invention --is"shown"in connection witha ceiling cons'truction and, as preferredf-I employ in the framework of the building spaced-apart I-beams*8,"and form theunits' 5 with a length suflicient" to extend from the center of the base of one bearh'to the'center' of the base of an adjacent beam; ;The ,units are disposed, b elow;the bases of the beams and, are designed to-be carried therefrom by means of the ,supp,orting elements 7 cooper ating witlrlocking members 9,1the latter, being designed to-be-passed through the openings Z1 and bear upon the upperfaces of the v units and upon the upper faces of the flanges of the I-beams. i e V The modified form of unit supportingelementZ shown byFig. 6-is quite similarto-the form of Fig-,3, practically the only difference being that I provide the apertured depending portion d with a ledge of shelf f pro-1 jecting in an opposite direction from the shelves c,,, The openingZ5, is also slightly fe nt in configuration, This shelf? s posltioned below the reinforcing rod to which the m nts-7* engage, and i esign d'to I provide-an additional reinforce for the unit,

andat'thesame time-is utilized for gauging s thic n ss 1. j 1 I In the jceilingconstruction'shown by Figs, 4 and fu l-have shown the metallic body supporting element 7 ,;formed integral-witha reinforcing rod 6k Inthis formof my in:

g A building unit comprising a pro-cast,

body having a reinforcing metallic." member extending longitudinally ,thereofyandI em bedded therein, metallic bodysupporting element pzutiallyembedded in the-,bodytconnecjted with; the reinforcing member and; projectingupwardly from said body, and 'arel-j 'ative yf o ti ra sv rs y ex d ng: locking 65.; mem euaclaptedito as me. an inclined? EQ L- tion for cooperating with the supporting element for engaging the unit to a flanged structural member.

2. A building unit comprising a pro-cast body having a reinforcing metallic member extending longitudinally thereof and embedded thereima metallic body supporting element partially embedded in the body and extending fromthe reinforcing member and proj ectingupwardly froin' and b o dy, and a transversely eXte'nding -locking member shorter than thebody cooperating with the supporting element for engaging the unit to a flanged structuralmember, said supporting element being apertured, and sa d locking member entered n the aperture and adapted to make contact with the upper face,

of the'unit and-the flange of the structural member; i

A building d h ing a reinforcing rod eX D g gitud-inally thereof and embedded therein, a

body supporting element partially embedded, in the body and threaded on said rod,@ said' supporting elements including a 29C13 portion provided with an opening therein, adepending apertured portion, and shelf projeciting ment with a structural'member.

v l. A-building uni-t comprising a precast body having a reinforcing rod-extending logitudinally thereof and embedded therein, a body supporting element; partially-em; bedded in'the body and connected with said 100 Q body portion provided with an openingrod, id. support ng e m n i clud ng a therein; a depending apertured portion, and a shelf projecting from the bodyport on for engagementwith a structural member, said shelf disposed in a plane between the planes of the openings in the body anddepending portionsand projecting from the-body portion-at substantially right angles thereto.-

5'. A building'unit comprising a pro-cast body having .a;- reinforcing rod-extending longitudinally 1 thereof and embeddedv theren, a dyl pp ft ng e en par i lly bedded in the body and connectedwithsaid rod-, said 1supp ortingelement 1nelud1ng a body portion provided with'an opening therein, adependingaperturedportion, and a shelf projecting from the bodyportion substantiab ly at: the upper surface thereoffor engage:

ment with a structural membensai'd depend-J L ing apertured portion-also provided with a shelfbelow;;the aperturez In a ceiling construction, the combina tion witltflanged-structural members, of pre e cast ceiling unitseach having a reinforcing metallic l member (extending longitudinally thereof and embedded therein, and; having adjacent ends disposed'beneath and inen l gagement with a structural -member,--a metallic unit; supporti g lemen vcenn. terliwit the reinfQrQiHgmember and pro ecting from unit comprising a pro-cast rom the body portion-for engage-1 the unit, said element having a portion in Contact with a face of one of the structural members and an ,apertured portion above the contacting portion, and a locking element passed through the apertured portion and contacting with the unit between said structural members and the flange of one of the structural members.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature.

JOHN A. FERGUSON. 

